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I must be missing summer at the moment. Pina Colada Muffins one week, Mango and Coconut Smoothie the next! We live in the Blue Mountains, Australia, which is a remarkably beautiful place. But come winter time, it’s really bloody cold! Our fruit bowl is full of pears, apples and bananas. Nothing like the melons, mangoes and stone fruit we devour in the summer months. Thankfully I have found that you can buy 1 kg (yes 1kg!!) of frozen mango for around $6 at Aldi! Woohoo!!

And the other week, while I was in hospital, a foodie friend of mine not only brought me two trays of Italian pastries (he knows me well!) but he also brought some amazingly delicious coconut milk. I’m so used to coconut milk in tins from the supermarket, that this cold bottle of light sweet coconut milk was a revelation!

Now I know smoothies are all the rage at the moment and people are loading them up with avocado, quinoa, protein powders and the milk of yaks from outer west mongolia. In our house smoothies are a much more simple affair, with one main purpose. To cheer up a tired and cranky two year old. This Mango and Coconut Smoothie can be prepared with a toddler in one hand and your ingredients in the other. It comes together in a moment so little people don’t have to wait. And it is super delicious!! And healthy too! Huzzah!

This Mango and Coconut smoothie was a mega super amazing hit with my little Possum. Initially she wanted to save some for Daddy, but poor Legoman never got to taste it as Possum decided the extra glass was probably better off in her belly.

So go grab yourself some frozen mango, some coconut milk not in a tin and some healthy bacteria packed yoghurt to whip together this delicious Mango and Coconut Smoothie. Enjoy!

Like this:

Ahhhh sweet summer nights, sipping Pina Colada’s on a beach front somewhere wonderful… all just a dream for this heavily pregnant mother of a toddler! Doesn’t mean I can’t bake some super tasty muffins! Because cocktails and muffins totally compare. Excuse me while I go sob in the corner for a moment…. Rightio! Back again! This pregnant mumma is also living in the icy start of winter, where our pipes are already starting to freeze in the mornings and our windscreens need to be scraped of ice before driving anywhere. So sure, why not tropicana on your tastebuds! Liven things up!

These Pina Colada Muffins are a delicious combination of some of my favourite things.

Coconut, lots of coconut.

Pineapple. Mmmmmmmm

Lime. Sweet, sweet (or sour) lime.

Plus a few other healthy yummos like chia seeds, yoghurt and banana to make these Pina Colada Muffins totally guilt free. They are both egg free and nut free making them perfect for school lunches and toddler afternoon teas. And with only 2 Tbsp of coconut sugar added you can confidently even give these as a little baby led weaning treat too!

I have really wonderful memories of sipping Pina Colada’s on Tonsai Beach in Thailand, with the freshest of fresh coconut and pineapple in them. Swinging in a hammock. Watching the lightning flash across the ocean. Off I go day dreaming again…

These Pina Colada Muffins are quite a moist mix so when baking make sure to give them a little skewer test to check if they are done. I had to keep putting them back in the first round, I think I was a bit too excited to try them!

7. Spoon into muffin pan and bake for 20-25 minutes, check with a skewer that they are cooked right through as this is quite a moist mixture.

I had to add in this photo of the pineapple pieces. The sunshine through the bowl was making such beautiful patterns. And that photo of the whisk is actually a colour photo, looks black and white. Pretty groovy 🙂 I hope these Pina Colada Muffins add some tropical sunshine to your day! Enjoy!

Cooking is my therapy. And when Possum (now 21 months old) decides sleep is for losers, mummy needs therapy. This recipe was conceived and baked in 30 minutes. In time for Possum and I to curl up on the couch together, eating muffins, watching Ratatouille and being friends again.

Since Possum was diagnosed with an egg allergy, I had gone right off baking. Not trusting egg replacements and I think being a bit OTT with mourning the lack of eggy goodness in our kitchen (as I’m still breastfeeding I’m not eating egg either). Now I am 18 weeks pregnant and recognizing I needed a healthy snack when I’ve got the munchies (goodbye nausea, hello appetite again!!).

My anniversary gift to Legoman, was a surprise batch of this yummy coconut and macadamia granola. He was at an end of work season party last night, the perfect time to whip up a surprise food gift. He has muesli every morning for breakfast, but is particular about the type he has. So I thought, why not make him a tasty alternative. Here’s how I did it…

Coconut and Macadamia Granola

2 cups oats

1/2 cup shredded coconut

1/4 cup sesame seeds

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

2 Tbsp maple syrup

1/2 cup chopped macadamias

3 Tbsp coconut oil melted

1/4 tsp cinnamon

Combine all ingredients together in a bowl. Place some baking paper on a baking tray then lay out the mix on the tray. Bake in the oven at 160 C for 30-40 minutes, checking every 10 and stirring to ensure it doesn’t burn. Allow to cool before storing.

Right, we are back on track….ish. We are in a new place, with piles of boxes to unpack, a kitchen for tall people and a bub who’s commando speed is similar to a slug. So with the few cookbooks I could find, I sat down and wrote my plan for this week.

You probably noticed that I am using two cookbooks mainly this week. I love both of these books dearly. Looking through Plenty for the first time since having Possum, it might be a while before I can make alot of the stuff in it. It is a vegetable (not vegetarian) cookbook. And vegetables need good timing, something not always possible with a bubba. The Leon book is actually their second cookbook. The first is much better than the second in my opinion, but I love their styling and the recipes are no fuss real food, as is their store’s philosophy. If ever you make it to London, search out a Leon store, and pack me in your suitcase!

A moment to be a proud mummy. Tonight Possum had spag bol sauce for dinner. Not with a spoon. But with her own two hands. She ate a small bowl of the stuff. And the mess was so much less than expected! Hurray! My baby girl is growing up. Sigh. Smile.